Singletree attachment.



No. 638,!2U. Patented Nov. 28, |899. H. C. HULZHEIMER.

SINGLETREE ATTACHMENT.

(Application led Aug. 8, 1899.)

(No ModeL) 2 j AAE,

i NTTED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

HENRY OHAS. HOLZHEIMER, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO P. H. HOLZHEIMER, OF SAME PLACE.

SINGLETREE ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 638,120, dated November 28, 1899.

Application iled August 83 1899.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY CEAS. HOLZ- HEIMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of J eerson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Singletree Attachment, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to singletree attachments, and has for its object to provide a device which shall be strong, durable, and cihcient; and it consists in the combination and improved construction of parts of the same, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference-numeral indicates a corresponding part in each of the views in which it occurs, Figure 1 is a top plan View of one end of a singletrec provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a modiiication.`

Referring particularly to" the drawings, 1 indicates the end of the singletree, which may be of the ordinary construction, to which my attachment is secured by means of the cupshaped portion or head 2. Projecting axially from the bottom of the cup is a stem 3, preferably round in cross-section, to the outer end of which a latch 4L is pivot-ally secured. The latch is preferably fitted within a slot 5 and fastened by a rivet 6 in such position that when it is opened the latch will form a curved extension of the stem to permit of the ready attachment or removal of the trace. After the trace has been placed upon the stem the latch is given a partial rotation on the rivet 6 and its free end made to enter a hole 7 through the stem adjacent to the outer surface of the trace.

Located upon the under side of the stem, preferably within a slot 8, is a spring 9, the free end of which engages with the end of the latch and holds it in either its closed or open position, the pivotal end of the latch being formedangularforthatpurpose. To prevent the latch being swung backward so far as to injure the spring, the shouldered portion 9a is caused to engage with the bottom 5a of the slot 5. This construction of the parts causes the shouldered portion 9 to perform two functions-z'. e., it engages with the spring when Serial No."726,544. (No model.)

the latch is closed and with the bottom of theslot when the latch is open.

As the singletree is of a greater length than the distance at which the front ends of the traces are apart, I prefer to make the rear por- A tion of the bottom of the cup-shaped portion 2 thicker than the front portion or head, which will cause the outer surface of the bottom to be slightly inclined or at an angle to the stem, which will cause the traces to assume the proper inward inclination to ft the breast portion of the harness.

Fitting against the outer end of the cupshaped portion or head is a suitable washer 10, preferably of hard rubber, between which and the inner end of the latch the trace is secured` in such a manner as to prevent noise that might otherwise be caused by the contact of the metal portion 11 of my improved eyelet 12 upon the inner face of the trace.

In operation my attachment isapplied to the end of the singletree and secured in any suitable manner-as, for instance, by means of the rivets 12a 12a, which pass through the attachment and the end of the singletree and are securely riveted. lf desired, the holes 13 in the attachment may be reamed out, so that the heads of the rivets may be countersunk therein and present a smooth surface. As the ends of the singletrees are generally elliptical in cross-section, I prefer to make the cup-shaped portion or head of my attachment of a corresponding shape, although I can make the head cylindrical, as shown in Fig. 3, and provide it with a screw-threaded stem 14 in axial alinement with the stem to which the trace is secured. This construction will avoid the use of rivets and will also form a neat attachment.

If desired, the end of the latch may extend entirely through the hole in the stem, and other changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invent-ion or sacrificing any of the advantages of the same- Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A newarticle of manufacture, an attachment for singletrees comprising a head which IOO eeaizo is thicker at the rear than at the front and is inclined at its outer face and provided with a stem projecting therefrom, the outer end of the stem being slotted and perforated and the intermediate portion being perforated and the bottom grooved longitudinally from the slot in the end nearly to the said intermediate perforation. 'Y

2. The combination with a sin gletree, of an attachment secured to each end thereof, each of said attachments comprising a cup-shaped portion, the bottom of which is inclined upon its outer surface and provided With a stem projecting therefrom, the outer end of the stem being slotted and perforated and the intermediate portion being perforated and the bottom grooved from the slotted end nearly to the intermediate perforation, a spring securedY in said groove at one end and having its free end extending across the slotted portion at the end of the stem, a rivet through the slotted end of the stem and a curved latch pivotally secured upon said rivet, the free end of Which is adapted to enter the intermediate perforation of the stem and the pivoted end is shouldered and adapted to engage with the spring and with the bottom of the slot.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY CHAS. HOLZHEIMER.

Witnesses:V

WM. Y. LONG, LoUIs H. BAUER. 

